In Lucem Nobis Fatum
by Drakanyst
Summary: Erwin Smith is often told that he must have lost his mind, moving from the inner district and the relative comfort of the Military Police to Wall Maria's Garrison command. He is soon swept up in a heated chase to stymie a mysterious increase in crime that spans between two of three walls. The case could either make or break his career. Fate, it turns out, has another idea entirely.
1. Evasion

844年

Shiganshina, Wall Maria Garrison Headquarters

. . .

"You wished to see me, Commander?" The heavy office door swung open before Erwin, revealing Commander Dot Pixis' unadorned office. Rumor had it that when he'd been appointed Garrison Commander, Pixis had operated from his outpost barracks for a whole month before the higher ups strong-armed him into the place. He wasn't positive if it was true or not, but upon laying eyes on the Commander's relaxed form, Erwin couldn't help but label it as a possibility.

Heels resting atop the oak desk, Pixis took a generous swig of whatever mystery amber liquid was contained inside his engraved hip flask. "Come in already Smith. Day's a wastin'."

Speckles of dust reflected in the cut of light from the window behind the Commander, following an invisible airborne road. Erwin reached for his bolo absently, the only tell that he was unsure of the situation. Ever since his transfer into Wall Maria's Garrison branch, he'd managed to steer clear of any summons that might bring his actions into question. It was a fact that Erwin was proud of. While maintaining the belief that it was bound to happen eventually, it was a considerable record.

So what, then, could his superior have called him to headquarters for?

"Military Police has been a thorn in my side for months now about a string of robberies at different outposts and merchant locations on the interior of Wall Rose." The commander peered at Erwin over the lip of his flask.

"With all due respect sir, what does that have to do with the Garrison?"

"Excellent question! One that I asked myself when presented with this particular issue. Turns out that at the time, it wasn't related to the Garrison at all aside from the notion that since the robberies have ceased, the perpetrator must have moved on. I was told to keep an eye out for suspicious activity."

The information presented only one possible outcome. "They've resumed here."

Pixis nodded once, a short and vaguely irritable motion. The chair beneath him squealed on rusted springs in protest of the way he dropped his weight and leaned forward. A couple papers had scattered in his effort to remove his boots from the surface of the desk.

"Last night, as a matter of fact," Commander Pixis gave only a minute pause for the affair of capping his flask. "It's a miracle I remembered this file at all. Each of the robberies happened at a variety of times, in different places. There's been no established route or motive, aside from the fact that it's our supplies that are going missing."

Erwin took the file that Pixis extended towards him without preamble, immediately flipping it open and skimming the first page. It offered no shocking revelations.

"I know that you're asking yourself why I picked you to tell this to. I'd like you to begin investigating last night's robbery. The Garrison isn't MP; we don't have any functions for that kind of a search. It will be up to you to come up with results on your own. You'll still be expected to perform your usual duties."

_And as the only trained private on this side of the Garrison that doubled in strategy and progressive tactics with both humans and Titans, the Commander chose me. _It was too early to feel overjoyed about the situation, Erwin decided. None of his assignments prior had been so easy to resolve, and he had no reason to hope that this would be the project to turn that around.

"Major Dreschner spoke very highly of you when I inquired of your background. Top marks in your squadron, impeccable mind for planning and anticipating enemy activity. I don't know why you decided you didn't want to live the comfortable life behind Sina, but it works out for me well enough." Pixis grinned, steepling his hands beneath his chin.

"Thank you." It wasn't a compliment exactly, yet it would have been rude to ignore. "I'll do my best to bring the culprit in. Do you mind if I take this?" Erwin gestured with the file.

"I'll let Hollins know to expect you."

. . .

Abilene Hollins smiled at Erwin from across the counter in apology and then returned to her clipboard. Shiganshina's Garrison supply outfit had two front desk representatives, and he was now waiting his turn to speak with who had been on shift the previous evening. Commander Pixis had left him with enough time to return to his own apartment. He'd gone over the entire report six times. Six! The first three robberies hadn't been properly recorded, and helped him not even a fractional amount. All eighteen events that followed held similar notes: supplies had disappeared under a full guard, regardless of the time of day. He may have entertained the notion of a single perpetrator; however the sheer volume of the supply disappearance was a glaring indication that the robberies were a group accomplishment. But how did that entire group get over Wall Rose? Erwin had seen only one attempt to scale the wall in his lifetime, and the locals had talked in hushed voices over the poor fool that had killed himself by falling for weeks.

It didn't add up, and Erwin felt the beginnings of what could either be annoyance or excitement. If he were being honest with himself, it was likely a little bit of both. Garrison life proved as predictable as the Military Police. Any deviation from the expected was a welcome distraction.

"Mr. Smith? Sorry for making you wait like that. Captain Arnold comes in every Wednesday," Abilene said from somewhere to the left. Erwin's head snapped towards the direction of the sound, belatedly realizing that he must have looked ridiculous zoning out.

"I'm the one inconveniencing you. Did the Commander tell you why I was here?" Abilene was pretty, he thought. She had thick brown hair and surprisingly bright eyes. Her countenance shifted a little, smile faltering.

"I'm afraid I won't be of very much use to you, sir. I didn't see a thing."

Erwin schooled his features into a neutral expression. First the wall detail, and now this. She didn't look to be finished talking, so he held onto his response for the moment.

Abilene sat in the chair across from him, crossing one leg over the other.

_And Smith? I don't want this becoming a big ordeal. We'll be swimming in MP before you know it and those guys cramp my style._

An odd time to remember Dot Pixis' final remark, Erwin commented to himself. "Just tell me anything you remember about your activities leading up to the theft. I'll also be acting in place of a record keeper." He had tried to go for reassuring, though it fell a little short.

"Well.. that's what made it so shocking. I had'a get something out of our ammunition lockup. That's all it was. No more than thirty seconds, a minute tops. It's right over there," Abilene pointed to the far right corner, where an open hall could be seen. "I came back, and the local merchant drop- all forty pallets of the newer items that we just fought so hard to get. And forget talking to them about a second delivery-" She faltered then, laughing sheepishly. "I apologize, that wasn't relevant."

"No, it's all right. But nothing else was stolen? Ammunition, weapons, uniforms?"

"Nothing at all."

That doesn't make any sense, Erwin deliberated. Why go through such great lengths for mostly food items, none of which had any large monetary value? It was a lot of effort for just extra rations. He stood then, boots making heavy sounds on the supply depot's floor. The storehouse was large for just the Garrison, but Erwin knew better. This supplied the greater part of Shiganshina's military effort. To move so many pallets in such a short amount of time had to consist of a tremendous amount of man power.

_Ten man operation at minimum. How did they escape unnoticed? There are at least two sentinel posts within a one mile radius. _

"Thank you for your time, miss Hollins."

_That's it._

. . .

It was dark before Erwin chose to return to his apartment. The day was long over, and frustratingly unsuccessful. Motivated by the chance that there were few places that so many supplies could be hidden, he'd set out from the depot with an idea already of where to go.

And he'd waited. Few people passed by in his watch. The ship building supply warehouse, one long abandoned by use since travel was normally made within the district and not between walls, remained dark and quiet. Worst of all, it was completely empty. Erwin mentally retraced his steps throughout the day. He'd been so sure that another strike would happen within the vicinity of the Garrison and southern outpost. As the data read, strikes were not at the same type of establishment every time. He was missing something fundamental.

So he'd changed his tactics, opting to ask locals about the appearance of new supplies. There'd been some indication of growth in food rationing amongst the community, but he couldn't provide proof that it was related to the night prior. Those he did speak to were strangely obstinate about volunteering information, whether it was how they had gotten the items or who they'd gotten them from. Even so, Erwin didn't miss the unexpected note of pride. _If that's what it even was. I may be reading into this wrong. _

A shape near the entrance to his apartment put him on edge. The door was off of the main street, in a narrow side alley where five other apartments looked out at each other. His was on the end, wrapping the rear corner of the alleyway. Only one way to escape aside from the direction he was coming from. Long fingers wrapped around the small dagger tucked into the back of his belt.

"Private Smith!" The courier waited until Erwin drew near. The hand that had been gripping his knife's hilt dropped to his side. He stifled a sigh.

"What can I do for you?" While he recognized the insignia of military courier, it didn't mean much to him without further information.

"Message from Headquarters sir, urgent." That was all that the courier was willing to say. Surely waiting in the cold had lost its appeal. The dark haired man gave him a salute and left the alley after Erwin had returned it in kind.

With the parchment in one hand and his key in the other, he opened the letter before managing to fit the key into the front door's lock. The lock turned over grudgingly, it always stuck a little.

Erwin's hand darted back away from the lock as if scorned. Another check of the alley proved it to be without disturbance. He gave the door a slow push, two insights landing square atop him at once.

One, somebody had been inside his apartment.

And two, there'd been another robbery.


	2. The Gathering Storm

844年

Shiganshina West Residential District

Erwin was already out the door by the time his key hit the floor. He ran to the edge of the alley, head whipping around in an effort to see where the man had gone. It had to have been the courier. The thought was wild and not entirely supported in fact, but he could see no other likely outcome. Night had fallen less than an hour ago, and thefts were less likely to happen during the day.

"Damn!"

A pulse of urgency overtook him. There was still the message to consider. The courier was nowhere to be seen. He chided himself for his inattention to detail. Steps terse and purposeful, Erwin returned to the apartment's entryway. He snatched up the abandoned message and read it over with a great deal more focus. It was an impeccable forgery, unless this too was a prop in the perpetrator's ruse. The signature looked authentic enough. Had the stranger attacked the real courier and taken his clothes and correspondence? Or was the man actually enlisted? Erwin tried to visualize their momentary interaction. Infuriatingly, all he could remember was the man's height. Erwin had stood a full head taller, but any other details he may have acquired were lost in the dark, along with his equanimity. While he had no reason to believe this incident was related to his investigation, it was far too convenient timing.

For a minute the only sound in the apartment was that of the gas lamp clicking over and flickering into life. Now that he had more visibility than just the fractional amount of light from outside, Erwin mentally prioritized the situation. He would check to see what was missing, and then follow up with the Garrison just in case the correspondence was real.

_Calm down, Smith,_ Erwin told himself. _The enemy is two steps ahead of you. Now isn't the time to make this personal._

It took all of five minutes to investigate the apartment thoroughly. Not one thing was out of place, aside from the immediately recognizable placement of one of Erwin's books. Normally, it was on a shelf at the far side of the common room. Instead it had been placed on the center of his desk, open.

Erwin glanced out the window that the desk faced. As was the case with every other inch of the apartment, it was undisturbed. He frowned down at the book, taking care to grab the inside page for placement before he turned it to read the title along the spine.

_Origin Of Truth: A study in subversive tactics for the military mind._

This hadn't been a theft. It had been an acknowledgement.

. . .

"What's the matter, Private Smith? Stub your toe on something?" Dot Pixis raised an eyebrow in Erwin's direction, a faint amount of mischief in his expression betraying the nature of the barb. Erwin shook his head. Not even five minutes had passed since his arrival at HQ and already he had been summoned to the Commander's office.

"It's nothing, I was distracted."

Pixis didn't look remotely convinced. "So that's how you are. I didn't expect miracles on the first day of your assignment. It is rather soon after the last incident, however." The rustling of parchment accented his statement, Erwin's notes between his hands. There had been another theft, this time along the eastern side of the district- exactly the opposite of Erwin's prediction. Relieved that the hypothesis hadn't been made in writing, he settled a hand on one hip. At least he had the knowledge of the operation's scope, but as of yet the information was useless.

_Back to square one._

An edge of determination lined Erwin's voice. "I'll discover them by the next event sir. That much I'm sure."

"I'll give you one more incentive. Make sure you do, we're running out of time before the other branches find out. Something like this doesn't stay quiet for long. Two more of these and I'll have no choice but to remove you from the case and call in the military police. It'll be out of our hands."

"Yes, sir."

. . .

The words had rankled him. One minute, Pixis had been laid back and almost neglectful of the assignment he'd given to Erwin. The next, he was giving out tense ultimatums. Reluctantly at first, Erwin appreciated the show of inner strength.

That didn't mean it lacked the ability to aggravate him.

Once the statements and official business regarding the second robbery had been taken care of, Erwin had been expected in morning drills and a conference. He'd dragged his feet through both, not having slept since the prior night. The drills weren't something he was worried about. With three years out of the training corps, he could do these exercises in a coma. In contrast, he found himself lacking in the conference. Not that it was anything of dire importance; the organization of wall posts, interaction with other branches, that sort of thing.

_We've become complacent in this so-called 'peace'. Where would all these formalities be if we were still in the days of frequent Titan attacks? _

Erwin watched a curl of steam rise from his cup. He had returned to the apartment with all intention of sleeping for a few hours and worrying about his assignment later, but his mind wouldn't stop churning out the same arguments. Who had the courier been? Perusal of scene and personnel came up with no beaten and unconscious couriers, and headquarters hadn't yet summoned one for the message that lay on the desk in front of him. It was indeed authentic, but nobody had any information as to how it had left headquarters and arrived at his doorstep. With that information, Erwin had scanned the scene of the theft upon arrival to find that there was a single uniform missing. Two possibilities: the man was either enlisted [which would explain his keen knowledge of the inner workings of the garrison] in a separate post, or he'd studied their organization extensively. The latter pointed to something far more dangerous; an enemy both adaptive and clever.

In other words, he wholeheartedly believed that the latter possibility was confirmed.

Taking a sip of the marginally sweetened tea, Erwin reached for the still open book in the center of the desk. The page that it was open to outlined methods of psychological manipulation, ranging from defense against the use of it by enemy forces, to use of it _against_ others. It warned of the difficulty in spotting valid cases, stating that sometimes the worst enemy a soldier could have was his own mind.

He read for what felt like hours. It was only when a bird outside the common room's window called that he jumped, startled from slumber. The book was still in his lap, two pages over from where he'd started.

Erwin looked out at the window and the offending bird, contemplation giving way to a cascade of facts. It unfolded like a map of Shiganshina, every hit and theft glaring and obvious in a way it hadn't been before. His approach had been completely wrong. Bewildered, the blond leapt out of his chair, abandoning the book without care. He barely spared the time to grab his jacket, nearly tripping over the rug in the entry way in his haste.

It had to be the merchant's guild.

. . .

The light from the sun above barely extended over the wall, draping much of Shiganshina's central markets in shadow. It suited him just fine, though in retrospect he should have at least changed out of his uniform. Nothing says 'glaring presence of law' like a uniform, after all. It was too late to bother regretting his decisions, and truthfully he hadn't seen one thing yet that might be out of place. Erwin was close to giving up on the notion that his sleep befuddled brain had gotten the whole thing wrong when a younger girl at the end of the narrow street caught his attention. She wasn't acting strange per se, however the way she kept looking up at the angle of the sun made him think that she was waiting for something. What could she be waiting for in the rear streets of the market close to the end of the day? She carried nothing, and her clothing read 'upstanding citizen'.

Erwin moved as if interested in a sign detailing the hours of a business, taking a roundabout way to move closer to her. She was just over four foot seven, and much closer to adulthood than he'd previously estimated.

Amongst the sparse amount of merchants and workers milling about, a boy of about sixteen approached his topic of focus. He watched out of the corner of his eye as they began to talk, the girl's lighthearted peal of laughter filtering through the sounds of a city awake. They began to walk away, the boy linking his arm with her. A tryst, then. Something about it still left him uneasy. Instead of deliberating over his course of action, Erwin decided to trust his own intuition and followed half a block behind.

When he turned the corner into a small alley that dead ended, Erwin spun in place, finally glancing above him. There was nothing! Shoppers and laborers alike stared as he tore out from the alley, running as fast as his legs would carry him. Without being able to cut through the center of the markets, he was unlikely to make it to the guild on time. A creative curse left his lips as he dodged people left and right. _Where would they exit from? How are they planning to get away in full daylight in a street full of people?_

The turn onto Shiganshina's twelfth avenue was a sharp one, and Erwin didn't see until it was too late. Narrowly avoiding a collision by arcing his upper body away, he barreled into a curly haired woman carrying an oversized chicken cage. Her yells of outrage followed him down the street, not having the luxury of time to apologize.

Each district had an independent merchant's guild, the appearance and layout varying by city. The guild in Shiganshina was expansive even if it wasn't as extravagant as the one inside the capital. It had four distinct sections, the southernmost quarter lined by the cascading roof of a wallist church. Out of the entire building, this was the only portion with an entrance to the roof. It was this space between the buildings that Erwin bolted for, skidding to a stop in surprise at the sight that greeted him. In a split second, the alley was abandoned, leaving Erwin alone to cope with his discovery.

Balancing on the sloped roof in a matter that was almost physically impossible, one hand on the upper eaves and the other outstretched was a man with eyes the shade of a gathering storm.

_The courier from yesterday. _


End file.
